Calls for greater transparency and regulation of social media and technology are rising, and now it’s coming from inside the house. Facebook Inc’s Oversight Board published their quarterly transparency report in late October, concluding that they need to be “pushing for Facebook to be more transparent,” and urgently.
But Meta appears to be closing its doors tighter. Frances Haugen’s Facebook leaks have left a mark, with Meta releasing an ‘Integrity Umbrella’ system in late October to prevent future leaks.
The annual research summit removed two talks from the itinerary, one pre-recorded, due to fears of content leaking. Employees are sharing screenshots of Workplace groups (their internal version of Facebook) that, once open, have now been set to closed, with access requested through a specific form. The Meta value to ‘Be Open’ is shifting, and “access to information” won’t be unfettered, as CTO Bosworth wrote in an internal post to employees.
Facebook’s inflated metrics led to massive upheaval in journalism with a pivot to, then away, from video in 2016. Their obscurity means their role as platform and publisher is often unchecked, and if employees don’t know what’s happening throughout their company, their users are being left with even less.